The Gates of Hell
by t.j.guard
Summary: Book 4 of the Night Watch series. Ahkmenrah discovers a curse placed on his tomb at his death was a ruse... Tally finds herself facing no ordinary foe in this installment of the Night Watch series, and it takes all she has to fight it.
1. Prologue

The Gates of Hell

Disclaimer: I don't own Night at the Museum or any related concepts, save the Night Watch series.

A/N: Ahk/OC, Jed/Oct, brotherly Kah/Ahk

Prologue

Ahkmenrah closed his eyes. He'd stood facing both his sarcophagus and his tablet, his mind finally wandering to the curse he'd had placed on his tomb as a precaution aside from the tablet. For once, he honestly hoped it was a fake, but Tally had successfully activated the defense spell for the tablet.

"What are you thinking?" Kahmunrah asked, drawing Ahkmenrah out of his thoughts.

"Give me a good reason to tell you."

"You used to trust me with everything."

"There were some things you were good at, tactics being one of them."

"Is this a tactical question?"

"Not really, more of a magical question."

"Well, I'm sure I could take a stab at it."

"Remember that curse I had placed on my tomb?"

"Which one?"

"There was only one. Everyone thought the tablet was enough."

"Oh, of course. The one about that person who will open the gates of the underworld and all hell will break loose should they be able to shut the tablet down for any length of time."

"Very good for three thousand years of being dead."

"I remember it from a few discussions I've overheard."

"Kahmunrah, don't do this to me right now."

"Well, what about this curse, since you asked?"

"Is Tally it?"

"I'm not a priest, I wouldn't know."

"Kahmunrah, what do you know?"

"Right now, next to nothing."

Ahkmenrah sighed and bowed his head. His eyes roamed over the new glass case the museum had supplied for his sarcophagus, but his mind was on other things entirely.

"'Kay, guys, you've got five minutes," Tally said from the threshold to the Egyptian room, calling attention to the matter at hand, namely the time.

"Alright," Ahkmenrah replied flatly, preparing himself and crawling into his sarcophagus, casting wary glances at the hieroglyph-covered walls, wishing for once the priests were wrong.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Tally tossed her coat onto the couch and looked at the framed photo on the coffee table. She smiled, letting the memories flood in, but avoiding the one involving Johanna burning her copy of that photo. For an instant, she thought she saw Cecil's face reflected in the glass of the picture frame, and she smiled. She'd been seeing Cecil everywhere, and she'd become sure he was her personal ghost, at least until he could rest in peace.

She flopped down on the couch, opening the notebook on the endtable, where she'd left it the previous day. She was finally coming close to concluding reading Cecil's notes, and she'd finally reached the mention of the fruition of Reginald's scheme to steal the tablet. There were several dismissals of the idea, an explanation of the rationale, and a general acceptance, though not a wholehearted one.

Taped to one of the pages was a picture printed off a computer, depicting a section of hieroglyphic text on stone, and underneath was a transcription of the words in Egyptian, one Tally was sure Cecil had attained from Ahkmenrah while the latter was detained, perhaps as a means to shut him up, if only for a few minutes. The words hadn't been translated into English, so she dog-eared the page and read on.

When she finished the notebook, she put it back on the end table and lay across the couch, closing her eyes and ready for sleep to take her. Unfortunately, a knock on the door prevented this from occuring.

Tally hauled herself to her feet and drudged over to the door, wrenching it open. "Who the hell are you and what the hell do you want?"

"It's me, Tally."

She forced herself to look at the face belonging to the voice, and the name returned to her instantly. "Brunden? Dammit, how the hell are you?" She threw her arms around Brunden, pushing him back a pace.

"Fine, I'm fine." He chuckled and pulled Tally off of her. "How's the night watch treating you?"

"Better than you think, actually."

"Found a man? What's he like?"

Tally paused, choosing her words carefully. "Very old-fashioned, like ancient times old-fashioned."

"Wow."

"Heard you got a job at the Smithsonian, of all places. How, dare I ask?"

"Can't say how. Just happened."

"So, how's it treating you?"

"Well, there was that one night this weirdy showed up, and there was a huge mess the next day. Anyone's guess how that happened, but there hasn't been a day like it since."

"Hey, you free tonight? I can show you how all that happened, or at least offer an explanation."

"What, aliens?"

"Not quite."

"Well, what is it?"

"You'll see if you meet me at the museum tonight."

"You are Cecil's grandkid."

"Wow. When did you figure that out?"

"I dunno, maybe-"

"Didn't Gus ever tell you?"

"Well, uh, no."

"Whatever. Come in, make yourself comfortable, all that jazz."

"Does the jazz come with-"

"Shut up and get in."

Brunden scowled, but he entered the apartment nonetheless and seated himself on the couch. Tally retreated to the kitchen and searched around for ingredients, and ten minutes later, she came out with two shot glasses in her hand. "If you don't want a Famous Fredricks, I'll down yours for you."

"Been a long time since I had one of those." Tally set the glass on the coffee table in front of him, next to the photo, and took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Hey, what's the picture here for? Thought your mom burned it."

"She burned hers. Cecil's ghost gave this to me."

"Oh, uh, okay."

"Touch it and you die."

"Okay." Brunden schooched away from the photo until he found the armrest closest to him even closer than before.

"Okay, seriously, why are you here?"

"Vacation, mostly, and I had this freaky dream about the Museum of Natural History, and you were in it."

"What was I doing?"

"Don't remember, but there were these marks on your arms and back, and they were all glow-y and everything."

"Marks? Glow-y? Oh, God, must've been important."

"I think, but that's about where the dream ended."

"You know, my friend from the museum says dreams are the gods telling you to do something, or sending you important messages."

"So do I have to do it, whatever it is?"

"Hell yeah, dude, especially if they're expressly telling you to do something. It's the gods, man. You have to listen, or they smite you and ruin your life until you wise up."

"Okay, but I kinda need to know what I have to do first."

"That's why you're here?"

"I was hoping Cecil taught you how to tell that, but you only lived with him a few years."

"He taught me some basic stuff, cardinal rules, but nothing too..."

"Magic-y?"

"Yeah, that's it." Tally sipped from her shot glass, thinking about Ahkmenrah's distance the previous night. "How much do you know about ancient Egyptian legends?"

"Nothing, really, except they had this Book of the Dead that helped them through the underworld. Maybe your museum friend knows about that."

"Yeah, maybe. I'll ask him tonight when he wakes up."

"Say what?"

"He's kind of the reason all this craziness is going on right now. You'll see tonight, I swear."

"Okay, whatever you say." Brunden took a sip from his glass and looked toward the door, pulling at the collar of his shirt. Unbeknownst to him, Tally watched this gesture with a certain amount of curiosity.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Tally clocked in early for her shift and led Brunden to the Egyptian room. She checked her watch and turned toward Brunden. "You ready for this?"

"I dunno what it is. How can I be ready for it?"

"Okay, we've got five minutes. How much time do you want me to spend babbling, and how much do you want to spend looking around?"

"You gonna give one of those freaky historic speeches museum guides always give?"

Tally chose to draw out her response, adding an obviously feigned look of innocence for flavor. "Maybe."

"Okay, shoot."

So, Tally laid out how much she knew in the same way she'd done for McPhee a few weeks prior. When she finished, she checked her watch both as a means of gauging how long she'd spoken and a way of letting what she'd said sink in. She had two minutes to spare. "So, what do you think?"

"I think you're crazy, I think this whole thing's crazy. Tell me how to make sense of all this."

"Okay, you've got a minute and a half to think I'm crazy, but you have to watch what happens after."

"Deal." Tally turned to prepare Ahkmenrah's sarcophagus when Brunden went off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You are approaching that item with ITT. That's 'Intent To Touch'."

"I need to touch it, dammit. Just let me do my job." Tally pulled the lid of the glass case off and slid it down to the ground.

"This is how you do your job?"

"Yeah. Everything comes to life at night, remember, and in this sarcophagus is my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend? You're dating a mummy?""

Tally pulled the pins from the sarcophagus and checked her watch. Thirty seconds to spare. "Yes, my boyfriend, well, sort of, but I couldn't be happier. Look, you're on vacation, and I'm on duty. You're in no position to tell me how to do my job."

"You're the one putting your perfectly nail-polished hands all over the exhibits."

In the nick of time, Tally turned Brunden's head so that he was looking at the tablet as it began to glow. Within a second, she was sure his attention was riveted on the tablet, so she let him go.

Ahkmenrah climbed out of his sarcophagus and greeted Tally with a kiss and a small nuzzle with his nose on hers, signalling the coming of a normal night. Brunden looked from the tablet, which had stopped glowing, to Tally and Ahkmenrah. "Who's he? Another weirdy?"

"This is Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, Ahk, this is my could-be-cousin, Brunden."

"Could be?"

"Gus' grandkid, so we're next to related. They were really close."

"Ah, I see." Ahkmenrah took a few steps toward Brunden and gave him the once-over. Brunden cringed, but beyond that, he held his ground. Ahkmenrah stepped back. "Alright." He walked over to the guards and whispered something to them in Egyptian. The guards nodded and bowed, and Ahkmenrah nodded before dismissing them. "Now then, we should be fine."

"Fine? What are you talking about?"

"Tally, there's something I need to tell you."

Ahkmenrah led Tally away from the Egyptian wing, leaving Brunden alone. He and Tally found the Hall of Greek Art, where he took a breath and bowed his head. "Tally, I was cautious with my burial chamber, as most pharaohs were, but most of the priests felt that my tablet was enough to protect my body. It would bring the paintings on the walls and all of my mummified and statue guardians to life, but I insisted on at least one curse, while only one was cast. It stated that the one who activated the defenses of the tablet would suck all invaders into a bottomless pit. I knew the priests chose this one for a reason, but only now do I know what that reason was."

"What was it?"

"They were going to use whoever the tablet's second chosen was to pull the underworld into our world. They've already tried that once, though they didn't know I was watching."

"Double-edged curse, huh?"

"Yes, a double-edged curse, and now I fear the priests will return and use you and your friend to their disastrous ends."

"Oh, becuase I could...right."

"Be on your toes, and keep an eye on this Brunden character. I fear the worst already, and I don't need anyone confirming those fears."

"Look, you've got absolutely nothing to worry about. I won't say it's just a silly curse, because I was raised to know better, but I will say for every spell, curse or otherwise, there's some kind of countermeasure."

"What's the countermeasure for this one?"

"That's what we've got to devote our energies to right now. That's our immediate focus. Okay?"

"Alright, I can do at least that."

"Okay, good luck."

"Thanks, and good luck to you."

"Thanks."

Ahkmenrah and Tally walked out of the Hall of Greek Art before they parted ways and Tally went about her shift as normal, meeting up with Brunden in the lobby every now and again. Every chance she could, she paused to think about the conversation she'd had with Ahkmenrah earlier, but she could come up with nothing. No countermeasure, no way of stopping it, nothing.

Struggling to look normal while thoughts of curses were working their magic on her mind, she clocked out at her normal time and heralded a homewardbound taxi.

Jedediah and Octavius shared a somewhat lengthy parting kiss in the middle of the train tunnel before parting ways. "Same time tomorrow night," Jed whispered.

"Agreed."

Octavius kissed Jed again, lightly, before they officially parted ways, seconds before the sun rose.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Tally rummaged around for Cecil's book for all of about ten minutes before leafing through it for something on curses. Having found nothing of note, she racked her brain and reached for the notebook on the endtable next to the couch. She found the dog-eared page and examined it more closely. She found her laptop and turned it on, operating almost completely on a hunch.

She opened the internet and ran a search for some of the terms surrounding the image and it's transcription, turning up a little more than a search through a book, though still nothing important. She turned to some of the Egyptian words in the transcription, coming up with translations for the basics, things like 'by the power of Ra and Osiris' and 'so shall it be,' but some of the others weren't listed anywhere, so that meant there was only one place to find them.

Tally examined the page one more time, committing every word in the transcription to memory with careful, intense study.

Finally, she felt she could put the notebook back where she found it, and she recited the poem to herself one last time to ensure total accuracy.

Tally clocked in and walked into the lobby, scanning it when she got there. Brunden and Larry were making up for lost time, and as soon as she could, she snuck over and greeted Ahkmenrah with a kiss. "Got something I need to talk to you about later."

"Oh, good."

"What I wanna know is how Cecil knew about it."

"He used to brag about how he knew about the curse, how he did extensive research, all sorts of things, while I could hear him. He weaseled the transcription out of me while he had me bound to that sarcophagus."

"I knew it." Tally glanced at the group of approaching people. "Tour group time." She took a few steps back and waved at him. She waited until he waved back to turn and cross the distance to the wall of the lobby.

Ahkmenrah found Tally after the museum officially closed, and they watched McPhee try to woo Rexy, though the former was becoming ever more frightened of the latter than vice versa. Finally, Tally felt the need to intervene, so she stepped up and said, "Hey, Rex, what'd we say about scaring the curator?" Rexy whimpered and backed off, allowing the curator to successfully give up his attempt to play with Rexy, clock out and leave for the night.

"So, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Ahkmenrah asked.

"Cecil knew about your curse, and he got the countermeasure out of you, and he wrote it down in his notes." Tally pulled the notebook out from under her jacket and turned to the dog-eared page. "At least, that's my prevailing theory. What do you think?"

Ahkmenrah read the transcription while Tally watched his eyes. She noticed a look of recognition, followed by a look of dismay. "Tally," he finally whispered, "this is actually the curse I was telling you about."

"Welcome back to square one. So, you gave him the curse?"

"Of course, seeing as how I don't really have the countermeasure."

"Then we're screwed."

"Screwed?"

"Try this: 'Oh, no, we cannot possibly complete our mission now.' How's that sound?"

"Admittedly not as fun, but it seems to convey the same meaning."

"Okay, then, what do you suggest we do?"

"Oh, why must everyone keep asking me that? Wouldn't Cecil have known something?"

"I tried that. Can't you tell?"

"There's only one thing you can do now, Tally. Stay away, flee the country if you must."

"I can't. The gods marked me, remember?" Tally rolled up her sleeves to show portions of the scars she bore from the tablet. "You told me all about it."

"I have, yes, but you really don't have to-"

"Yes, I do. I have to stay. It's my job, this is my museum, and I, among a select few others, stand between the forces of chaos and the outside world and representations of the best of history which reside in this museum. We're all you have, all this museum has, and we have no choice but to stay and eliminate the threat. Do you understand, pharaoh?"

"Completely, Tally. Admittedly, you're far braver than I expected."

"This is my world now. Cecil wasn't brave enough to admit that, and neither were his buddies." At that moment, another possibility occurred to Tally, but she was unwilling to voice it out loud. She folded the notebook back so that the page she marked was showing. "I need you to trust me right now."

Ahkmenrah leaned in toward Tally. "I do, with my soul, and you know that. You have the knowledge we need, so I'm trusting you to judge accordingly, and I won't intervene unless I deem necessary."

"Okay, good, because I think I need to pay someone a visit."

"Alright."

Kahmunrah was exactly where Tally had hoped to find him, and when she was sure he didn't have a clear view of her, she let her hair down and tossed it around a little. She walked up to him with a sure step and leaned against the nearest table, holding up the notebook, dog-eared page showing. "Can you translate this for me?"

"Do you have a pen?" Tally fished out a pen from one of her pockets and found a blank sheet of paper, copying the translation as Kahmunrah gave it to her. When they finished with the translation, he asked, "So, do I get lucky now?"

Tally stood up to her full height and walked her fingers along the table. She then clenched her fist and connected a solid hook to Kahmunrah's face. "Somehow I knew you'd say that, but I'm the only one getting lucky right now." She snatched the pen, turned on her heel and walked off.

Jedediah leaned against the wall of his display, looking around. Octavius stood about a pace behind him, and he was done with the silence eating him. "What is it?"

"I ain't seen that Brunden guy leave yesterday and I was thinking he stayed here. I ain't seen him today, either."

"Is that him?" Octavius pointed down the hall at a thirty-year-old heavyset man with dark curly hair.

"Yeah, but what's he doing?"

"I suspect it's nothing good, judging by his incessant fidgeting, looking about, et cetera. He knows something."

"Knows something? Like what?"

"That, I can't say, but from past experience, I'd say it would have something to do with the ensuing chaos, whatever may happen within the next few nights."

"Chaos ain't taking a break, is it?"

"It would seem so, but I hope it at least dies down."

"To what?"

"Oh, I don't know, some reasonable state in which the fate of whole societies is far from center stage at the amphitheater, at least, as it stands from our perspective here at the museum."

"Yeah, that'd be nice. I just wanna know if it's possible."

"It is, or was, depending in your outlook of life." Octavius rested a hand on Jed's arm. "I personally feel the former. You?"

"Maybe we can be sort of normal again, and we can live some sort of normal life again. Maybe."

"I'm impressed, Jedediah. Your word choice is commendable."

"Thanks, Octy." Octavius slid his hand across Jed's chest, causing him to moan softly. "Good timing."

"Thank you. I pride myself on it."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Tally folded the paper, pocketed it, and redid her hair. She closed the notebook and walked down to the security office, flopping onto the couch and pulling the paper from her pocket. She unfolded the paper and read over it. "Okay, Cece, you know about countermeasures. What can I derive from this?" She read over the lines of the curse again, wondering if she could edit it into its own countermeasure.

The more Tally mulled over the idea, the more it appealed to her. She rummaged through the desk for another piece of paper and set to her tireless work.

Ahkmenrah waited just outside the security office door. Tally had been locked up in there for the past half hour, and he'd started to worry, though he doubted she could be up to nothing more than defending the museum from all threats. This thought had failed to ease his heart, but his mind was soothed by it.

He leaned against the door and closed his eyes, trying to recall his parents' exact words in times of trouble. "Let life be the River Nile," he whispered when the words came to him. "Flowing, changing, flooding, going dry. Ride it to the afterlife."

His heart finally slowed, and he could breathe easily. Tally finally exited the security office, completing his body's calming process. "There you are."

"What, you think I got swallowed up by some sea god or something?"

"Well, no, not really. I was...worried, is all."

"About what?"

"I thought, well, that you somehow, through some force, ended up dead."

"Dead? I was busy, is all."

"With what?"

"That countermeasure we needed."

"Oh, of course. We'd need that soon."

"Yeah, that's why I'm working on it."

"I've got some advice from you. My parents used to give me this advice when Egypt faced crisis, and often I would repeat it to myself after they died. 'Let life be the River Nile,' they said, 'flowing, changing, flooding, going dry. Ride it to the afterlife.'"

"That's actually really good advice."

"Oh, thank you. I honestly hope you remember those words and they give you strength when challenges meet you, and I hope that you find peace when all else is in chaos."

"Okay. Now, you know where Brunden got off to?"

"No, I haven't a clue."

"Look, if he doesn't come home with me tomorrow morning, I'm calling the cops."

"If I see him in passing, I will inform him."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Tally kissed Ahkmenrah lightly for just a moment before returning to the lobby.

Ahkmenrah had been seized by an idea, and he knew he had to get to his room, quietly but quickly. When he reached his destination, he got straight down to business. "Kahmunrah, you translated the curse for her, didn't you?"

"Well, uh-"

"Yes or no."

"Yes."

"She's about to risk her life throwing herself into this countermeasure idea."

"That curse on your tomb? The countermeasure is easier than that."

"How would you know that?"

"I snuck around a little back then, petty eavesdropping, and I heard the priests discuss that curse of yours. They kept going on and on about the will of the gods."

"The gods may have their way, and I will not intervene, as it isn't my place, but I felt the need to protect my tomb, my body. Surely you'd understand."

"I understand completely. Remember what our parents said."

"I remember."

"Of course, you used to always muttered them, almost like you never got over their deaths."

"Kahmunrah, watch what you say. It could get you killed."

"As always." Ahkmenrah scanned his brother's face, but he could find nothing which indicated some form of deception. He turned at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, only to discover those were Tally's.

"Just remembered something," she panted. 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"How can the Book of the Dead help us?"

"The Book of the Dead? Are you sure?" Ahkmenrah asked, but Tally only nodded. "I sure hope you realize the Book of the Dead is a road map through the underworld."

"Exactly."

"Oh, well, then. In that case..."

Jedediah and Octavius spotted Brunden a few more times before they resorted to shadowing him. That's how they ended up spending most of their time around the Egyptian wing, watching Brunden pace and mutter to himself while his fidgeting only got worse. They tried to hear what he was saying, but since his voice was so low, it was no use, so they continued to watch what he was doing.

"It can't go on like this forever," Jed whispered to Octavius. "The sun's gotta come up sometime."

"You sound like this night can't get over fast enough. Let Sol take his time."

"Well, I can't let this night get over before I know what's going on. I know something's up and I know you know, too."

"You're right, I do know, but I also know that he is only limited to his own knowledge, as we are limited to ours."

"Yeah, but there's two of us and only one of him."

"This is also true."

"So, what's the plan, General?"

"Right now, there is none. We just keep watching."

"Okie dokie. Sounds good."

Tally leaned against one of the walls of the Egyptian room, lost in her considerations of what Ahkmenrah had told her. "Okay," she finally said, "you're saying stuff that makes no sense to me. You're talking about when I die, and I don't plan to do that any time soon. I just need a way to avert or completely stop whatever force of evil is just around the corner."

"Oh, so you plan to survive?" Kahmunrah asked. "That changes the game entirely."

"So am I screwed or what?"

"Not unless you're a quick thinker."

"Then I have to be, because I'm not going to die tonight and just let the museum go to hell."

Shock distorted Kahmunrah's features, but Ahkmenrah remained calm. "If this is your world now, then I must trust your judgment."

"You're going to listen to her?" Kahmunrah asked, turning on his brother. "She's a woman."

"Hey! Shove it before I shove it for you," Tally barked, taking a step toward Kahmunrah.

"I have no choice," Ahkmenrah whispered, looking his brother straight in the eye

Kahmunrah sighed, but he couldn't argue. Arguing with the pharaoh would've been as fruitless that night, in the Egyptian room, as it surely was back in ancient Egypt.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Larry was making his midnight rounds when he caught sight of Brunden, who was pacing in the Egyptian wing. "Hey, what's up?"

"You seen Tally lately?"

"She's in there, like she's been for the past two months."

"Well, I know that, but I wanna know if she's okay."

"I'm sure she'll be fine." A slight sound attracted Larry's attention, and for a second, he glimpsed Jedediah's hat. "Guess you really like the museum if you never leave."

"I've got something to do, and I haven't figured out what it is yet."

"Well, why are you staying here?"

"Because I think this is where I need to be."

"Okay, you've figured that much out, and that's good, that's really good. Now, do you know what to do?"

"Well, I had this dream, and Tally was in it."

"Oh, a dream. I had one one time about a fish named Billy who told me I would be president."

"I'm serious here."

"Hey, guys. There you are, Brunden," Tally said, walking out of the Egyptian room to join the two other guards. "So, anything interesting you two are talking about?"

"Just dreams we've been having," Larry said nonchalantly.

"Oh, really? That's cool, I guess."

"Yeah, it's cool, if they're not about those lying fish," Brunden snapped.

"Why're you so defensive now?"

"Defensive? I'm not defensive."

"That's being defensive."

"Okay, you two, that's enough." Larry stepped between Brunden and Tally before their confrontation could get ugly.

"Yeah, you're right. So, who feels like cocktails?"

Octavius turned to face Jedediah. "What can you make of this?" he whispered.

"Nothing doing. My mind's gone blank."

"That makes us both, where neither has a decent plan or even a hint of one."

"Maybe we gotta find out more."

Octavius took Jed's face in both his hands and kissed him. "Jedediah, this is the reason you are a leader of men."

"Uh, thanks."

Tally miraculously found the ingredients in the security office mini-fridge and mixed a pair of Famous Fredricks drinks, passing one to Larry and the other to Brunden. "So, what do you think?"

Larry took a sip before responding. "Wow, that's something."

"Family recipe. Cecil just made it better."

"Oh, really. Whatever happened to Cecil hating you?"

"He never hated me. There was just a drunk Cecil and and a sober one. He was a party animal when he wanted to be."

"Heh, sounds like him for some reason."

"Okay, how come I feel like I'm being left out of the conversation?" Brunden asked, threatening to slosh his drink all across the security office floor. "I'm a person, too, dammit."

"A very annoying one right now. If you'd have let me, I'd have come around to you."

"Okay, fine." Brunden downed his drink and slammed the glass on the table before storming out. Larry and Tally exchanged strange looks, but neither said a word.

"Okay, I'm definitely bringing all this stuff home with me," Tally finally said.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

After helping Larry get all the exhibits back to their displays, Tally raided the security office for anything and everything related to the Famous Fredricks coctail drink and put them in a garbage bag she'd found looking for what she'd come to find. Only at this point did she clock out and head home.

Brunden was at the threshold of Tally's apartment when she got there, and the two exchanged glares. "What do you want?" she snapped.

Brunden grabbed her wrist and jerked. "What's standing in front of me right now." Tally kicked him in the gut, and the second his grip loosened, she pulled free.

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get out."

Brunden lunged again, and Tally punched him in the face and kicked out his knee. "You stupid-."

"Bitch. I know. I'm just a stupid bitch." Tally kicked him in the side, broke a rib or two, and let herself into her apartment as if nothing had happened.

Tally collapsed on the couch with a heavy sigh, rubbing her eyes. She turned to the photo of her and Cecil in the Diorama Room and smiled softly. "Think I did it?" she asked. "Think I made the countermeasure to the curse?"

"There's more than one," Cecil's voice replied. "Don't think I haven't heard all that Ahkmenrah said."

"You're my ghost, so I'm not really all that surprised."

"Well, good."

"So, can it be done?"

"Of course, but I'm sure it won't be easy. The world works in mysterious ways."

"So does chaos, and so does life, and love."

"Love?"

"I ended up going out with the pharaoh, that one you hate."

"I don't hate him, I just couldn't let him get in the way while I was alive."

"Still, him, or Joshua?"

"The pharaoh, Ahkmenrah."

"Okay, back to the matter at hand, what do I have to do?"

"First of all, watch Brunden. I'm afraid he's been possessed."

"By what?"

"More of a 'who'. There are those here in 'limbo' who seek power in the real world again, and I'm afraid one of them is trying to use Brunden to his ends."

"Why Brunden?"

"Well, if it were me, I'd have chosen you if you had even a slightly weaker mental state."

"Well, I don't."

"And I'm proud of you. Now, as I recall, you wanted some sleep."

"Yes, I did."

"See you, Tally-baby."

"See ya." Tally closed her eyes and let sleep take her.

Ahkmenrah's eyes fluttered open and he examined the underside of the lid of his sarcophagus. He could hear the pins being pulled from their places, but he didn't want to leave just yet. He ran his fingers along the side of his sarcophagus before he pushed the lid open and climbed out. As usual, he greeted Tally with a kiss. "You seem more ready to face the day than I am."

"Well, I've gotta be."

"So you feel it, as well?"

"Yeah, if 'it' is a sense of foreboding and impending doom."

"That's the one."

"Now, then. Let's do this."

"How is it you're so optimistic?"

"I'm at home here, and I'm not losing it to some guy possessed by a psycho spirit from ghost world."

"So it isn't really optimism as it is a sense of duty."

"Yeah, that's it."

Ahkmenrah kissed her again and pulled her into an embrace, stroking her hair. "Tally, will I lose you?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it. I'm not asking you to trust me, because I know you do, but I want you to let me at least try to stop this."

"You've done too much since you've come here."

"And I want to do some more."

"So tell me your plan. Perhaps I can help."

Octavius issued an order to his men in Latin, while Jedediah, his cowboys, the Mayans, the Civil War guys, and everyone else stood by in the lobby, watching Brunden. Brunden had been whispering incantations and such and not, while all the lights around them dimmed, replaced solely by a light blue light emanating from the center of the lobby, where Brunden stood. The light glowed brigher and brighter with each passing moment, and most of the miniatures shied away in sheer terror. "Archers, one shot into the light," Octavius said, and the archers fired once, watching their arrows disappear. "Fall back, but don't retreat." The diorama figures took a few steps back and reformed their lines.

Brunden continued to chant and the light continued to glow and spread until the former began to hover and the latter began to eat away the floor of the lobby as if it were acid. Jed crept closer to Octavius, who aided him by pulling him closer. Brunden threw his hands into the air and cried out a phrase in Egyptian, and Octavius whispered, "He must be possessed."

"So, what, do we try to find the real Brunden or something?"

"Too risky, and too contrite. We need something else."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, kill him?"

"Kill him? We gotta kill him?"

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"Well, we ain't got anything to kill a gigantor thing with, so we gotta at least get rid of whatever's possessing him."

"That's the best plan I've heard all night."

"So let's do it."

"Yes, let's."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Tally, Ahkmenrah, and Kahmunrah found Larry at the edge of the lobby, and that's about the point Tally could fully assess the situation. "Okay, uh, besides the acidic light eating a hole in the museum lobby floor and the Incredible Floating Magician right above it, is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah, except something really bad's about to happen."

"Try the end of the world as we know it," Kahmunrah supplied, illiciting a glare from Ahkmenrah, but the latter didn't respond. "Only a god could stop this now."

"Who wants to start praying first?" Tally asked.

Kahmunrah unsheathed his sword and stepped toward the light, watching Brunden carefully. Ahkmenrah stepped up to his brother's side, as if to stop him. Larry and Tally walked around the circle of light, and Tally dared to look down the hole, which was the window to an abyss blacker than night. She stepped back and turned her gaze up toward Brunden.

Ahkmenrah stepped around the light toward Tally, keeping his eyes on Brunden while the light was consuming him. Tally closed her eyes, but the light still burned her retinas, searing onto them the image of Brunden silhouetted against the light. "Come, Talia," he said, and Tally was seized by shooting pains following the path of the original, which occurred some three weeks prior. Within seconds, she was lifted off the ground against her own free will. "Now, open the gate."

"Didn't...you...get...that part?" Tally asked, struggling against the pain and the force imposed upon her.

"Not yet. Finish the job for me."

The pains shot through Tally again, and she tried to get to the ground again. "Dammit," she shouted. "Let me down!"

"No, Talia. Open the gate."

Tally cried out and she was almost sure she threw her head back, and her memory faded for what seemed like eternity in the pressurized can of one second.

Ahkmenrah looked from Tally to Kahmunrah, but his brother was entranced with the show going on above the abyss in the lobby floor. He distinctly remembered Larry saying, "McPhee's gonna be pissed."

Kahmunrah dropped his sword, and it seemed as if the clank echoed throughout the room and was muffled by unseen forces at the same time. Ahkmenrah watched Tally and Brunden, but the light was getting brighter, and it was getting harder and harder to see them. Even so, he couldn't take his eyes from the two figures floating above the abyss.

"I can't let you down, you fall into the abyss," Brunden hissed, his voice sounding like two merged into one mouth. "I can send you right into it."

"Try me. I've got family on the other side."

"Oh, this is a hard decision. I really want you to suffer for this, and you're extremely indecisive right now."

"Get me down! I'm not opening your damn gate." The pain shot through Tally again, certainly worse than all that preceeded it combined. What was more, she was in too much pain to speak or even cry out.

Larry, Kahmunrah, and Ahkmenrah stepped back, the former two shielding their eyes. Ahkmenrah couldn't stop staring, though the intense golden light forced him to squint. Lightning shot from Tally's form to the center of the abyss, and the building shook violently. Over all the chaos, whoever was gathered at the edge of the lobby, along with Ahkmenrah, Kahmunrah, and Larry, could hear possessed Brunden's maniacal laughter.

The golden light from Tally's scars and the blue-ish light from the hole leading to the abyss mingled into a dark green, doubly bright light filled the darkened museum, and the shaking increased in intensity. Joining the insanity was a roar which could've only come from the depths of hell itself and which seemed to leave an echoing silence in its wake.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Tally felt the earth shake and swore it split open, and after what felt like an eternity, the pain ceased, and she fell. It felt like she fell a lot farther than she should've, but she was incapable of screaming. Eventually, she stopped falling, so she turned around to see why, even though she could feel someone holding her. "What just happened?"

"Oh, nothing," Cecil replied. "That idiot just woke Anubis up, is all."

"That doesn't sound good." Tally peered up at the hole, where Brunden could no longer be seen, and silhouetted in the now light blue light was a jackal-headed man. "It doesn't look good, either."

Jedediah and Octavius clung to each other as the jackal-headed man rose out of the hole and turned on Brunden, who had fallen to the actual floor and was inching away. "Why are you here?" the jackal-headed man asked, his voice deep and a little more gravel-y than a normal human's.

"I...I dunno! I don't remember."

"Perhaps whatever has possessed him had abandoned him," Octavius whispered.

"Maybe," Jed replied.

The man appraoched Brunden and crouched so that he could properly growl, "You wake me from a nice rest, you disrupt the order of things, and you say you can't remember?" He raised a hand, and Brunden shrunk away, an arm shielding his face.

"Please, wait," Ahkmenrah said. "Our mortal consensus is that he's been possessed, though we can't say by whom or for what purpose."

"Possessed, you say?"

"Yes," Cecil and Kahmunrah said at the same time, causing them to look at each other. Cecil stood at the edge of the hole, supporting Tally.

"Possessed by one of our priests," Kahmunrah continued.

"So you do know."

"Not all of us, I assure you," Ahkmenrah added a little more hastily than he meant to.

"This guy wanted to take over the world," Cecil supplied. "Brunden was just a vessel."

"Is this true?" the jackal-guy asked Brunden, who shrugged, then nodded once. "No matter, I will know definitively when he is dead and I have weighed his heart."

"What're you gonna do to me?" Brunden whimpered.

"I haven't decided whether or not to kill you yet," the jackal-guy replied.

Tally pushed herself to her full height and staggered her weight some. "Look, if you wanna kill him, I won't stop you, but maybe you should wait awhile, and if you still wanna kill him, you can do it in his sleep. Sound good?"

"I like the way you think," Anubis said, turning his complete attention to Tally.

"Yeah, but I'm sure we're not thinking the same things."

"Oh?" He stood erect and stared down his nose at her.

"Look, I know you're a god and everything, but I'm not a huge 'worship' person, and I'm really sure you should watch your step right now."

"Oh, I'm watching my every move, along with everyone else's."

"Good."

Anubis looked around until he found Brunden, who'd found the front doors locked. "Shit," Brunden whispered. Anubis gestured with his hand, and he, the gaping hole, the light, and Brunden vanished. The museum was returned to light as if nothing had ever happened.

Tally turned to Cecil, who winked before he, too, vanished. "'Bout time," she whispered.

Tally met up with Ahkmenrah in the Egyptian room. "So this is how it ends," she said. "the vanishing of all the evidence."

"It seems Anubis is more forgiving than he lets on," Ahkmenrah replied.

"I just didn't expect it. I was expecting something more..."

"Epic?"

"Yeah."

"Well, looking back, it was fairly epic over all. I thought the museum would be destroyed within the space of twenty seconds."

"Yeah, that was kinda cool, and so was the light show, I'm sure."

"You were in pain for most of it, as I recall, but yes, the light show was a sight to behold."

"Yeah, the being-in-pain part I remember."

"So, what do you think's happened to your friend-slash-almost-cousin?"

"Dunno. Anubis took him, I think, so something having to do with him?"

"Perhaps, but I doubt they're coming back to tell us."

"Yeah, that's true, but it'd be cool to see what happened."

"Yes, it would. It would, indeed."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Anubis led the priest and Brunden into his chambers. "I hope you like it, because if everything goes as planned, you're going to be staying here for a long, long time."

"This is your fault," Brunden hissed at the priest.

"What was that, Thing Two?"

"Nothing."

"Osiris is going to flip when he sees this."

Jedediah and Octavius were lip-locked at ten minutes to sunset when Tally tapped the wall, forcing them to break apart. "'Kay, guys, I'm not explaining another make-out sesh to McPhee, so keep it together and get to your displays."

"Can do," Jed said with a salute. Octavius saluted as well, and they kissed one last time before parting ways.

Tally walked down to the Egyptian Wing to meet Ahkmenrah for the last time that night. "Well, here we go, another night in the bag."

"You act like chaos is old hat to you."

"Well, it kind of is, since my grandpa's my ghost, and my boyfriend's a three-thousand-year-old pharaoh and this chaos seems to just come with the museum and your tablet. What else could you expect?"

"You worded that well."

"Thanks."

Ahkmenrah and Tally exchanged their customary kiss before Tally helped him into his sarcophagus. He sighed and pulled the lid over himself, closing his eyes. Tally slipped the pins in place and covered the sarcophagus with it's glass case lid before she returned to her rounds.

Larry met Tally in the security office, as planned, just as McPhee clocked in. The curator sniffed them down like a bloodhound and asked, "How come I feel like something has happened?"

"Uh, well, uh..." Larry began.

"What he means to say is, you know how this museum works, and that pharaoh I introduced you to was a paranoid guy in his lifetime, and-"

"Dexter did it," Larry said suddenly.

"Oh, so the monkey did something stupid and set her boyfriend off? You really are comedy night guard, and thanks to you-"

"Yeah, yeah, you're laughing all the way to the bank. We get it."

"Good guess, but no. It was the pharaoh's curse. We're supposed to feel like something happened and it will send us running." McPhee walked off and Tally revolved the tip of her index finger around her ear. She and Larry shared a chuckle before clocking out and walking out of the now quiet, still museum.

"See you tonight."

"Yeah, see ya."


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue

Tally walked into the Egyptian Wing and prepared for Ahkmenrah's awakening. When he did awaken, she stopped him from kissing her and whispered, "I played your brother like a fiddle for information."

"What information, dare I ask?"

"The translation of your curse, so I could derive a countermeasure in case worst come to worst."

"Oh, I'm afraid I must disapprove of such behavior. Of course, not being a stupid pharaoh, I realize it wouldn't make any difference either way." Ahkmenrah kissed her passionately. "You've still been very bad, however."

"Fine, fine, I'll change, but just for you."

"Now, that makes me feel special."

"Good. That's what I was going for." He kissed her again.

"You really didn't need to tell me about what you've done. I weaseled it out of my brother."

"I had to own up somehow. It's not like I could tell your brother."

"I'm sure Kahmunrah's listening somewhere. He always does."

"Good to know."

"I suppose you've got to leave now."

"Yeah, I've gotta go finish my rounds."

"Will you come back?"

"As always."

As Tally walked away, something came to her, a phrase Ahkmenrah told her before the chaos came in force. "Let life be the River Nile," she whispered, "flowing, changing, flooding, going dry. Ride it to the afterlife." She smiled at the conclusion of this phrase.

Kahmunrah leaned against the wall of the Egyptian room. "You told her that?"

"You heard?" Ahkmenrah asked.

"Of course. She was whispering it to herself leaving the Egyptian Wing. I just recognized the phrase."

"I knew you'd recognize it. How many times have you heard it?"

"Perhaps as often as you have, but how badly have you needed it, especially after our parents died and I virtually abandoned you?"

"Don't remind me." Ahkmenrah's gaze hardened, but he kept the rest of his face smooth out of habit.

"Fine, then what do you wish us to discuss instead?"

"I never said I wished to discuss anything." Ahkmenrah pulled Kahmunrah into an embrace, but it took a little time before he wrapped his arms around his younger brother. "It's been far too long, don't you think?"

"I was naive enough to assume one was enough."

"Since when is one enough?"

"Start listening. I said I was naive."

"Fair enough." Kahmunrah sighed and turned his gaze upward. "There's just no stopping you, is there?"

"There are some matters I never yield on."

"Would I be one of them?"

"What do you think?"

"Oh, I'm in for it."


End file.
